BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Higher Education Student Support (2014-15)

David Willetts: I am today confirming the student support package for higher education (HE) students undertaking a course of study in the academic year beginning September 2014.
	Tuition charges and loans
	For all new full-time students and eligible continuing full-time students who started their courses on or after 1 September 2012, maximum tuition charges and maximum tuition loans will be maintained in 2014-15 at the £6,000 and £9,000 levels which apply in 2013-14.
	For continuing full-time students who started their courses between 2006-07 and 2011-12, maximum tuition charges and maximum tuition loans will be maintained in 2014-15 at the £3,465 level which applies in 2013-14.
	For students who started their sandwich courses on or after 1 September 2012 and are undertaking a work placement year in 2014-15, tuition charge and loan caps will be set at 20% of the maximum full-time tuition charge and tuition loan caps.
	For all new part-time students in 2014-15, and eligible continuing part-time students who started their courses on or after 1 September 2012, maximum tuition charges and maximum tuition loans will also be maintained at the £4,500 and £6,750 levels which apply in 2013-14.
	Tuition charges and loans for Erasmus and Overseas Study Years
	In May 2012, I announced a replacement to the existing fee-waiver support for students taking a study or work placement year abroad under the Erasmus scheme. The new support arrangements will come into effect from the academic year 2014-15 and will limit the maximum amount that HE institutions can charge students starting their course on or after 1 September 2012, to 15% of the maximum tuition charge cap. Students will be able to apply for tuition loans to meet the costs of their tuition for their Erasmus year.
	The 15% tuition charge and loan cap will also apply, for the first time in 2014-15, to students starting their course on or after 1 September 2012 who are taking a study year abroad at overseas institutions outside of the Erasmus scheme. These extended support arrangements emphasise the importance I attach to students gaining mobility experience.
	Maintenance Grant
	I am also announcing the living costs package for full-time students in 2014-15. The maximum maintenance grant for students attending full-time courses in 2014-15 will be increased by 1%, the same figure that has already been announced for increasing some benefits and pay in the public services. This means for new students and eligible continuing students who started their courses on or after 1 September 2012, the maximum grant in
	2014-15 will be £3,387. For continuing students who started their courses before 1 September 2012, the maximum grant in 2014-15 will be £3,110.
	Loans for living costs
	Maximum loans for living costs for all new and continuing full-time students attending their courses in 2014-15 will also be increased by 1%. For new students and eligible full-time students who started their courses on or after 1 September 2012, who are living away from home outside London while studying, the maximum loan for living costs will be increased to £5,555. I can confirm that the equivalent loan rates for students living away from home and studying in London will be £7,751; for those living in the parental home during their studies, £4,418; and for those living overseas as part of their studies, £6,600.
	For eligible full-time students who started their courses before 1 September 2012 and are living away from home outside London while studying, the maximum loan for living costs will be increased to £5,000. The equivalent loan rates for students living away from home and studying in London will be £6,997; for those living in the parental home during their studies, £3,876; and for those living overseas as part of their studies, £5,953.
	Part-time grants and loans
	For those students who started part-time and full-time distance learning courses before 1 September 2012 and who are continuing their courses in 2014-15, maximum fee and course grants will also be increased by 1%. Maximum fee grants will be increased to £1,285, depending on the intensity of study of the course. Maximum course grants will be increased to £280.
	Household income thresholds for grants for tuition and living costs, and loans for living costs, will be maintained at 2013-14 levels for 2014-15.
	Dependants Grants and Disabled Students Allowances
	Lastly, I can confirm today that we will increase the current levels of disabled students’ allowances, adult dependants’ grant, childcare grant and parents’ learning allowance for all new and continuing students by 1% in 2014-15. This additional non-repayable support is available to those students who face additional costs in studying because of disabilities or caring responsibilities.
	Regulations
	I expect to lay regulations implementing changes to student support for 2014-15 and a further set of regulations changing tuition caps for students undertaking sandwich placement years and overseas years of study later this year. More details of the 2014-15 student support package will be published by my Department in due course.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Daw Mill Colliery Closure

John Hayes: On Thursday last week, 7 March 2013, UK Coal Operations Ltd announced the closure of one of their deep mines at Daw Mill in Warwickshire following a serious fire which broke out on 22 February 2013 and continues to burn.
	They have assured us that the nature of the fire itself and the depth of the mine (740 m depth and a distance of 8 km from the bottom of the main shaft) means there is no danger to the general public in Warwickshire and that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Coal Authority are continuing to work with the company on ways to quench the fire safely.
	UK Coal directly employed some 570 people at Daw Mill and the company are fully focused on making sure they do all they can to help and support the work force. This includes the redeployment of members of the Daw Mill work force to other UK Coal operations, which I understand is already taking place.
	Officials from my Department have been co-ordinating a cross-Government response with nine Departments and agencies involved, including BIS, Shareholder Executive, DCLG, HSE, Coal Authority, Insolvency Service and Jobcentre Plus since the fire broke out last month. They continue to ensure there is a fully joined-up approach at both national and regional level.
	In relation to supporting the work force at a local level, BIS West Midlands and Jobcentre Plus have met with local authorities and other local partners to bring together a response to manage the impact of the closure, not only on the employees at Daw Mill, but also on local businesses and the local community. This will build on a rapid response package led by Jobcentre Plus. It will include other nationally available support, such as Talent Retention Solution, and relevant support providers at local level.
	We continue to work closely with the company and I will be meeting them again later this week when I will make it clear to them that I regard their treatment of the workers affected to be a high priority. I also expect to meet with union representatives this week.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages

David Lidington: I have today arranged for copies of the UK’s fourth periodical report on the implementation of the European charter for regional or minority languages, to be placed in the Library of the House.
	The report is also available on the website of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at: www.gov.uk/ government/publications.

WORK AND PENSIONS

State Pension Reform

Steve Webb: To assist the Work and Pensions Select Committee with its pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Pensions Bill, I shall later today publish some additional research carried out by the Department for Work and Pensions into the state pension outcomes for the particular cohorts of women who have become the focus of the Committee’s enquiry.
	I will place a copy of the analysis in the House Libraries, it will also be available later today on the Department’s website at: www.dwp.gov.uk/single-tier- pension.